Barproof Awards 2018: The Full List of Award Winners

With every passing year, the beverage biz is becoming more global. One of the clearest signs of that is the Barproof Awards. Aiming to shine a spotlight on the bar culture of Russia and the countries of the former USSR, here are the winners from this year’s ceremony.
As we approach the end of the year, the bar industry awards season has also wrapped up. One which made a big impression on us this year is the Barproof Awards, which celebrated its third anniversary in Moscow this edition and originally was launched to showcase the wealth of talent in the Russian bar scene.
Founded in 2016 by the Bartender Brothers, an independent community of bartenders, it’s a sure sign that the bar culture in Russia is hitting new heights. Last year they extended their categories from Russia to the whole USSR, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. A savvy move, as from Kiev to Minsk there’s a whole host of innovative, exciting things happening.

Not just a ceremony

A point to note is that awards attendees don’t just fly in for a whistlestop gala dinner. First up there was the Experience Day on September 2nd, one day before the grand ceremony itself. Accredited guests heard lectures and seminars from bartenders and mixologists, including the likes of Mr. Basil Smash himself Jörg Meyer discussing “The Hotel as the Keepers of Bar Culture” or New York’s Brian Miller (Polynesian bar, formerly of Death and Company”) waxing lyrical about “Modern Tiki: Pirate’s Journey.”
After the requisite guest bartending events of the evening – at 21 of Moscow’s top bars mo less – the award ceremony took place on September 3rd. Themed as “Club Paradiso”, the vibe was all about the 1950’s, more specifically the era of the “Atomic Cocktail”.

Barproof Awards 2018: How they vote

One quick extra thing to note. The voting system differs dramatically from other award ceremonies. The nominations are compiled according to the recommendations of the board, which includes many industry representatives from different countries, before then the nominees themselves vote from the list for the winners. Eventual winners receive a “Golden Hydrometer” statuette, shaped like an aerometer for measuring liquid strength.
With 18 Russian and 21 international categories, it’s a broad, diverse list that finds space to also celebrate wine bars, dive bars, and restaurant bars, amongst much more. A list definitely worth consulting on your next visit to the region.
Congrats to all the winners of Barproof Awards 2018. Here at Mixology we hope to visit your bars over the course of next years!